3 Key Factors for Satisfier Dissatisfier Theory in Product Development !
Satisfier Dissatisfier Theory: The discussion takes me back to the old management philosophy — satisfier dissatisfier theory by Fredrick Herzberg in his two factor theory of motivation . I have however adapted it to impress the aspects of product development and ensuring that product priorities are efficiently managed to satisfy the key tenets of product management — business, customer and product. On that note, we tackle satisfiers and dissatisfiers in the context of product devleopment with certain allusions to product prioritisation for new and upcoming features.
Satisifer Dissatisfier Theory
What is a Satisfier?
A satisfier is a feature which makes a customer/user happy. This is a feature or a service whose absence does not cause any pain, but the presence makes the customer happy.
In this scenario, we are looking for items that can please a customer. On their own, these aspects generally fall under the category of convenience, ease of use — reactive dashboards, interactive designs etc.
This generally falls under the category of could have and nice to have’s if you are using MOSCOW prioritisation. Having said that, these are extremely important since they form a key aspect of initial product impressions and enhancing quality of experience from the product. In essence, they have a direct impact on the perceived product quality and value to the customer.
What is a Dissatisfier?
Satisfier Dissatisfier Theory: A dissatisfer is a feature which on its own doesn’t make a customer happy. But its absence will severely impact the user.
In other words, you will run the risk of upsetting a customer if a feature or service under this list is not provided. These are generally under the category of must have/ should have considering the impact they have on the customer, user and the business. Naturally I am inclined to place these under the category of core functionality and the purpose for which a product is bought from a supplier.
As a product person, my key focus would be on ensuring that the dissatisfiers are immediately catered for while a keen eye is maintained on the satisfiers. In essence it is the fine combination of the two which pivots the role of product management into ensuring that business priorities are well balanced between the satisfiers and dissatisfiers.
Customer’s alternatives
1. How expensive are these alternatives?
- What will your customer do in the absence of your solution? Are there simpler alternatives available?
- How is the customer currently filling this requirement to reach their end goal?
- What can you do to help the customer? It doesn’t always need to be your own product, the aim is to find a solution to the customer’s problems.
2. Are there any free-wares or open source softwares which can aid you?
- The open source softwares are quite a boon when it comes to new developments. Of course you will not have all the royalty and rights to improve or develop on it further, but they can provide you a speed to market.
- Do take a note of legal requirements when you use open source softwares. Espescially if you are a startup, you will need to consider the implication of an open source software on your IP rights, company evaluation and other factors which can directly be influenced.
3. Is there an off the shelf product with which you can integrate to provide this solution
- You need not develop everything yourself as a software house. The end result is customer pain has to be alleviated. If this purpose is being served, then a business benefit can be developed around it.
- How can you reduce the time to market? Is there an opportunity to integrate with a ready made solution which can solve part of the problem while you develop something in the background?
What to do?
Satisfier Dissatisfier Theory: The aim to arrive at a balance between the satisfier and dissatisfier. The dissatisfiers of course take precedence in a lot of cases. The satisifers fall in the range of could have and the nice to have’s when it is related to product development.
The final goal is to ensure that your customer is happy and satisfied. If this is being impinged, then the business model or prioritisation needs to be revisited. The commercials are certainly important, but not always at the cost of customer dissatisfaction or else you end up losing loyal customers and incur a huge churn which is a massive challenge to resolve.
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Originally published at https://inspire99.com on December 4, 2019.
